Carbonator



July 22, 1941. c. z. SUTTON CARBQNATOR Filed June 19, 19:59

INVENTOR (bar/e5 Zoo fU/foh ATTORNEYS Patented July 22, 1941 CARBON ATOR7 Charles Zook Sutton, Piedmont, C'alifl, assignor to Bestest Products,Inc., a corporation oi California Application June 19, 1939, Serial No.279,934

Claims.

This invention relates to a liquid carbonation device, particularly onesuited to domestic or commercial installation to provide a supply ofcarbonated water.

It is in general the broad object of the present invention to provide anovel, efiicient liquid carbonator practically free of moving parts.

Prior devices for manufacture of carbonated liquids, particularlycarbonated water, usually include means for supplying carbon dioxide,

means for supplying water, and mechanically operated means as rotatedpaddles for mixing together the gas and water to the end that the two bebrought into'equilibrium, and as much carbon dioxide dissolved in thewater as is possible under the conditions existing in the carbonator.Such devices are relatively expensive because, involving as they do, anoutside power requirement to operate the mechanical mixing device,electric power or some other'power source must be provided. In addition,the involved structure must include a stuffing box or gland. These aregenerally a source of trouble.

While the prior art contains various disclosures of non-mechanicalcarbonation devices, an examination of these discloses that they arerelatively ineflicient and inefiective to produce carbonated water withthe degree of carbonation today'demanded by the public. This, I havefound,,is because of the inadequate mixing of the water and gas. I havedetermined that the gas and water, or other liquid to be carbonated,

should be continually and vigorously agitated and preferably by apluralityof separate means while in the presence of each other so thatif. any porinvention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of the carbonator of my invention, whileFigure 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 in Figure l. f Inacordance withmy invention, I provide a suitable vessel 5 adapted 'towithstand the pressure. The vessel is closed at one end by closure 6 andat the other by an end closure 1 having a infsection, through acarbonator embodying my undue pressure created in the vessel.

generally rectangular opening therein. A cover plate 8 with a gasket 9closes the opening in the end closure 1, the opening therein and theplate 8 cooperating to'permit of installation and removal of certainoperating parts within the vessel. A'bar II is extended across the endsof the vessel and, together with stud I2 and nut 13 draw and retain theplate 8 in position. This construction is claimed in the applicantscopending application Serial Number395,409 filed May 2'7, 1941.

The vessel 5 is normally cylindrical in cross section so that, whenarranged horizontally and only partially filled with liquid it providesa liquid body of relatively large free area which, as will presentlyappear, is exposed to a gas phase there- A pressurerelease valve M of atype well known in the art is mounted on closure I to relieve anyMounted upon the plate is a water inlet l6 supplying water to a valvemember I! controlling liquid admission through passage I8 into thevessel. In communication with the passage 18 is an elongated tube l9finally leading upwardly to discharge through a spray nozzle 2'0 intothat space normally occupied by gas in the vessel. It is to be notedthat tube l9 has a Venturi throat as at 2|, and that apertures 22 areprovided in the throat 'to withdraw gas from the space and mix with theliquid ejected through the Venturi and spray head 20 on tube I9 into thegas space in the vessel.

Spray head 20 directs a stream of liquid force fully onto a free area inthe vessel to circulate positively the liquid body therein. To assistmixingof the gas withdrawn from the gas space into the liquid in'tube[9, a plurality of restrictions 2| are provided inthe tube. These areeach preferably Venturi tubes so that a varying pressurevessel'andmaintain the vessel selectively filled with'liquidt'o theliquid level line indicated in the drawing:

Means-are provided for supplying gas and in the drawing this has beenindicated by an inlet .the entire body clo'ckwisein" Figure l.

line 32 connected to a fitting 33 mounted on closure 1.

Fitting 33 is a tube extended through closure 1. At one end and on oneside of closure 1 it carries a head 34 and a gasket 36. A nut 31 andanother gasket on the other side of closure 1 enable the fitting to besecured in place. A plate 39 is secured to the head 34 and receives gaspassed by the head. An outlet or draw-ofi line IA is suitably mounted on'plate 8 whereby CO2 saturated liquid can be withdrawn from the vessel.

Plate 39 is generally flat with its under surface roughened as at 40 togive a rolling motion centration being present. The roughened undersurface 40 of the plate 39 agitates and tears oif thebubble-waterinterface whereby, as the bubbles roll up the plate, theinterface is con;- stantly renewed. The eifect of this is to saturatethe water beneath the plate and, at the same time, cause it tocirculate. The plate, ex-

.cept adjacent its lower end, is spaced from the vessel so thatliquid isadmittedfreely to be carbonated,

When the vessel is filled and neither gas nor liquid is being admitted,the liquid level is as indicated in Figure 1 as the normal. liquidlevel, the horizontal broken line. As carbonated liquid is drawn oifthrough: the draw off pipe BIA, the pressure within the vessel falls,gas is admitted to the vessel, the gas regulator valve (not shown) beingset to open ata pressure about pounds below the water pressure on watercheckvalve 49. The admission of gas into the vessel continues until thepressure within the vessel is equal to or above that at which the gasregulator valve supplies gas. The check valve 32 is then closed so thatcarbonated liquid will not go back up the gas line.

The float 3| normally has such a weight relative to its volume that itdrops until it is closely adjacent to the plate 39 before valve ll opensand water is admitted. With this type of float valve, and with checkvalve, inserted in the water line, little water is admitteduntil valveI! is open fully'and water is admitted freely through nozzle 2?] In thedrawing I have indi icated by broken 'line'sjl the path of water and gassprayed through the nozzle 20. However, this representation is'not'quiteaccurate, being rather diagrammatic, inasmuch ',.as the spray nozzle isso designed that it jets the water spray out fanwise' across the entiresurface of the free cross-sectional area of the device to stir andagitate the entire surface of the waterbody therein forcefully andcreate circulation through Water admission continues until water is shutoff 'by the float. Gas admission ceases' as soon as the pressure withinthe..vessel is equ'al too'r above that at which the'gas, regulatorlvalvesupplies gas. This'isfusuallyonly after .the'f'ifloat, has dropped,water is admitted and the float'fhas started return to thatpositioninwhich it shuts off the water.- Even though water continues to beadmitted for some period thereafter, there is sufiicient excess gaswithin the vessel to insure full and complete carbonation of all thewater admitted.

It is another feature of the present carbonator that full and adequatecarbonation of the liquid can be procured with relatively low gaspressure, of the order of 4.0 and 50 pounds. Mechanical carbonationdevices employ gas of about pounds pressure. Because the presentcarbonator is so effective, it can ordinarily be operated directly fromcity water main pressure without any supplemental pumps being required.This feature is of great advantage because it enables the device to beinstalled at practically any location having an adequate supply of asuitable liquid under pressure.

While theviolent liquid ejection through the Venturi throated tube I9and spraying of the liquid gas mixture onto the liquid body in thevessel agitates that bodyand, presents to the gas phase a constantlyrenewed liquid-gas interface, I have found that the time required tobring to equilibrium the gas and liquid is relatively long. However, byemployingthe several means disclosed, by initially contacting the gasand liquid by means ofrOughened plate 39 to presenta constantly renewedgas-liquid interface, by' mixing'the liquid to besprayed with gas and byconstantly but non-mechanically, stirring, the liquid body to provide aconstantly re.-

newed gas-liquid interface, the liquid is quickly saturated to theextent possible at the temperature existing in the liquid' -At' thenormal working liquid level, there is I availab'lea gas-liquid interfaceof appreciable extent, the vessel 5 having a relatively large. freehorizontal cross-sectional area. Constant'stirri'ng of this'forcefullycirculates the liquid therein'and renewsthela'rge gas-liquidinterfacefwhereby saturation is quickly effected; The s'praynozzle 20 iseffective to spray the length of thetank and circulate the-. liquid bodypositively and forcefully,.the liquid passing to the bottom of. thevessel where itmixes with gas from plate 39 and then-back" again.

This ensures quick and uniform carbonation.

I claim: i a

1. In a liquidcarbonation' device;.a closed vessel, means formaintaining said vessel filled with liquidto substantially apredetermined level, including liquid spray means discharging liquidsubstantially horizontally through a gas Tspace oversaid liquid. andonto said'liquid adjacentan end of said vessel to agitate the'ent'ireliquid body and a plate positionediri said vessefand submerged .in saidliquidat a. slight angle" to the horizontal, said. plate terminatingatits .upper end beneath. said water level and "spaced from said end ofsaid vessel. to release gas into liquid above said plate betweensaid'plate end and said vessel endand meansfor admitting COz gas beneathsaidplate adjacent the lower end thereof. Y

2. In a liquid carbonator, atubular vessel haw ing a major and a minoraxis andlarrangediwith its major axis generally horizfontal, means-formaintaining said vessel. at. least partiallyfilled with liquid toprovide a'liquid body and asp res for gas in said vessel, means for.forcefull'yejecting aliquid directlyand'substantially horizon tallythrough said gasispaceangidnie a'free portion of said liquid'bodytoiagitate said body and create a constantly newf gas-liquid 1interface, means submergedfinl said -liquidlbodyand providing" agas-liquid contactingifn'ieans in said liquid body, and means foradmitting CO2 gas beneath said submerged contacting means.

3. In a liquid carbonator, a vessel, means for maintaining said vesselat least partially filled with liquid to provide'a liquid body and aspace for gas in said vessel, means for ejecting liquid directly andsubstantially horizontally onto said liquid body to agitate said bodyforcefully and create a constantly new gas-liquid interface, a

gas-liquid contact plate submerged in said liqa flat plat positioned insaid vessel and normally submerged in said liquid for receiving gasadmitted to said vessel, said plate having its gas contact surfaceroughened to agitate positively gas admitted beneath said plate prior torelease into said space.

5. A liquid carbonator comprising a vessel, means for maintaining saidvessel partially filled with liquid to provide a free liquid body insaid vessel and a gas space in contact therewith, said means including aliquid spray nozzle positioned in said vessel to discharge substantiallyhorizontally, directly and forcefully onto said liquid body adjacent anend thereof to create and maintain positive liquid circulation in saidliquid body, a plate positioned substantially horizontally in saidliquid body and having gas-liquid contact means, and means for admittinggas to said vessel beneath said plate, said plate discharging gasadjacent one end of said liquid body.

CHARLES ZOOK SUTTON.

